ludeman



E. H. LUDEIVIAN.

AFLEXIBLE COUPLING. APPLlcATmN man Jun: 26,1911.4 new swfu 1u11 30. 1919.

2 sums-511:51 1.`

E. HJ LUDEMAN.

FLEXIBLE COUPLING. @PPLlcMloN man :une 26, rsu. asm-:wen luna so, |919.

1,322,128. 'patented N0v,.18,1919.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

EDWIN ii. L Uiniiaii, or .NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLEXIBLE COUPLIG'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed .Tune 26, 1917, Serial No.'177,003. Renewed June 30, 1919. Serial No. 307,785.

"T-all whom'i may concern j 1 Be it known that I, EDW'IN H. Lini iiMAN a citizen of 'the United States, residingat I `New Yorkcity, in the county-of NewYorkl lpljings and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Flexible Couplings, of which the following is a This invention relates, t I flexible couof that type containing flexible rings which4 areconnected. at intervals to the coupling heads or members for the purpose .of transmitting power; between. adjacent Y' shaft sections lboth ends, or o n and permitting angular variation'in the shafts as well as axial variations or offsets. j j

In .my pending application Np. 154,521, there is shown and described a coupling of this type in which .the rings are set at the rear or iii'ner sides "of the coupling heads, especially for the purpose of decreasing the space between the shaft sections.

'The .present invention designed as an improvement on the coupling shown in said applicatioii, with respect particularly to the manner in which the riHgsare attached to' thev heads. The present invention provides 'a double shear support or connection for the flexiblerings.

l That is, the bolts which connect the rings to the heads 'are supported at both sides of the flexible rings, thereby giving added-strength to the Y coupling. Also, improved means are provvided for clamping the 'rings to the heads,

especiall'yfbynwashers havingl tubular extensions whicli are set in recesses formed in the coupling heads Vor members. The inl vention also has advantageswith respect to. assembling the parts,V

f In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1-1s a "f coupling containing the improvement;

Fig-2 is across section thereof;

Fig. 3 is a' side elevation of one of thek coupling members.

Fios. 4.,.5 and x6 modicat-ion's having diffei vices.

are detiis -in section of nt clamping de- 'Referring v.specifically to the. drawingsv 6 .50 i l the' end of eachl shaft otherwise secured a coupling head or -mem- Vber consisting of' a hub I having radial arms 8 symmetrically arranged, and at their outer indicates the adjacent shaft sections. To. section -is'keyed or ends these armsare forked or divided to form opposite wallsr9 and 10 spaced apart, the walls longitudinal section of ai with the adjacent parts In -the form shown in extending transversely and one being located at the front. of the head and the other at the rear,.the-space being somewhat wider than the thickness of the fiexible `ring which extends through the same.

Patented Nev. 1s, 1919..

This ring is preferably laminated,` as indicated at `11, being built up of sections or plates,

made in one' piece or in two pieces bolted together. as shown. This floating ring or 4member is provided at symmetrical or regu-v lar intervals, corresponding with the number of points of attachment, with offset arms 13 on opposite sides alternately, and the ends of these arms are forked or divided toproduce front and rear radially extending walls' preferably semi-circular', with their vends lapped, as described and claimed in 14 .and 15, the arms'being 'offset far enough to bring the walls, or the spaces between the walls, in line circumferentially with the co1"- respondmg walls or spaces of the adjacent heads, whereby the rings when assembledv will extend around in' saidY spaces.

.It 'will l be understood that `,the flexible rings are fastened alternately to the arms of thev central membci andv the arms on the hubs, the number of 'arms on each corresponding and being located at equal -distances apart.

Ordinarily, ltwo arms vwill be provided on each hub Vand Dfour arms on the centralmember, each pair of the latter being offset oppositely to register withfthe arms on the hubs, but this number-may be varied or increased as desired, to vary the number of points of attachment. l

T o connect the flexible .or laminated rings vI provide bolts 16. y Fig. 1, these bolts extend through holes in the-walls .9 and 1G of theheads and the walls 14 and 15 of the middle member, whereby the bolt is supported at both of its ends, or on opposite sides of the'iexible ring, which gi'vesa double shear i,

effect and a strongand rigid' connection between the rings and the other coupling meml.bersf For clamping 'the' rings, av washer 1.7

is sleeved vover each bolt, and each washer 'has la tubular projection 18 which surrounds the bolt'and fits in Vor extends through the opening in one of. the walls 10 or 15 as shown.

The fiexible rings'are clamped against the wall 9 or 14 at the points of attachment, by means of the washers and thel nuts 19 on the threaded ends of the bo1ts'fthe nuts setting against the outer ends vof the. tubular eX- tensions on the washers, and when the nuts are set up the rings are clamped solidly against the 'opposite wall of thea'rms.

It will be seen that the spaces between the walls of the forks at the. ends ofthe arms are open at the outside or. periphery, and by making the rings in sections they ycan be set in or assembledfrom the outside without disturbing the heads or taking down thepcoupling. Consequently, if anyY ring or plate section becomes broken it can' be readilyrenewed. Furthermore, this construe? tion retains the advantages lof the close up construction, because the fiexible ringsare loca'ted'inside or to the( rearward of the hiib faces or shaft ends, with a great increase of strength by reason of the two point support for the connecting bolts.' .Y

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the head of the bolt '16a fits inLthe recess in the outer wall 9a of the radial arm on Vthe coupling member, and the rings 11 are clamped between a plain washer 20. under v the head ofthe bolt and an extended washer 18a on the opposite side, this arrangement also giving' the shearing support in the two-- Walls of the arms, atopposite ends of the bolt. r

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the

4 washer and nuts on the bolt are, in a sense,

combined, the washer being indicated at 21, with a threaded tubular extension 22 thereon which screws on the end ofthe bolt, and

may thus be set up against the flexible ring 11 to clamp the same against one of the walls, and fastened by acotter pin 23, the extended part 22.. of the washer fitting closely in' an opening in one wall and the head end of the bolt extending through the other wall, so that the double support is provided for the bolt.

In the modification shown in ig. 6 the 'clamping 'means are not mounted on the main fastening bolt 16, but a`pair of screws 41 are tapped through the outer wall 10 of the radial arm and set up against the washer 40 on the bolt 1 6, to `press the washer against therings 11.

Various other m' lvdifications are possible within-the scope of the invention, which isl not limited to the particular forms shown and described.

I claim:

l. In a flexible coupling, the combination of a head having arms forked to produce two spaced. walls, a flexible ring extending through the space between; said walls, and

fastening device extending through said ringand support-fd at opposite sides of the ring in said w lls.,`

-2. In a flexi le coupling, the-combinationwith coupling members having arms the outer ends of which are recessed to produce opposite walls, anda fiexible ring connectedI tosaid members, of a fastening device supported at its opposite ends in said walls and engaging the ring between said ends.

3. In a flexible coupling, the combination of axially opposite members, one of which has arms the outer ends of which are re-` cessed to produce spaced walls, a fiexible ring extending between said walls'and con# necting'saidf members, and a fastening device extending through said ring and walls.

4.' In a flexible coupling, thecombination of rigid coupling members having lalter- Dating arms'with spaced walls,'a flexible rij. g connecting saidmembers and extending between said wall-s, and a fastening device ex:

"tending through said ring and walls, said fastening device being provided with meansy -of coupling members one of whichA has'.

spacedwalls, aflexible ring connecting said members and extending between said walls, a bolt extending through the ring and the walls, and a washer on the bolt, clamped against the ring, and having a tubularl part surrounding the bolt in oneof said walls.

7. In a flexible coupling, the combination.

of coupling members, one of which has spaced walls, a flexible ring connecting said members and extending'between said Walls, a bolt extending through the ring and the walls, and a washer on the `bolt, clamped against the ring, and having a tubular part..

surroundingthe bolt in one of said walls.

and extending through the wall, the bolt .having a nut thereon bearing against-the outer end of said tubular part, to clamp the washer against the ring.

8. In a flexible coupling of the type having opposite members, the combination of a member having radial armswith rigid spaced walls at the outer ends thereof, a fiexible ring connecting saidmembers and extending between said Walls, and a fasten-' ingudevice extending through said ring and wa s.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature i in presence of two witnesses., EDWIN H. LUDEMAN. Witnesses:

DAVID H. REID, IDADALCHER.I 

